Fishing reel



March 18, 1952 R. D. COLGROVE FISHING REEL Filed June 28, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

RoberiD Col rove Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISHING REEL Robert D. Colg'rove, Vancouver, wash, assigns? to ColgibveTitdkl C0. 1116., Vancouver, Wash.

Ap lication June 28, 194 8 Seliiil N0. 35,711

"casting reel in which the spool mounting is hinged, spring mounted and trigger actuated. whereby the axis of said spool may be shifted rapidly and automatically between normal planes during the casting operation. I

There are certain recognized difliculties attending the present methods of casting The axis'of the spool upon which the fishing line is Wound generally extends transversely of the longitudinal dimension of the fishing pole. The cast is made by swinging the pole through aver tical or horizontal arc and allowing the weighted end of the line to be thrown outwardly as the line is paid off from the rotating spool. With a free-running spool, however, the initialforce exerted upon the line after the pole has been swung about greatly accelerates the rotation of thespool. As the speed of the cast line passes its point of greatest velocity and begins to decrease, the rapidly rotating spool exceeds the speed with'which the line is being paid out therefrom. Accordingly the spool overruns the line andthe latter is caused to be rewound upon the spool in a reverse direction until the excess line is taken up. At this point the rotation of the spool is suddenly arrested and the outward cast of the line is stopped abruptly. The above described phenomenon, commonly known as backlash, not only results in the inevitable loss of the fishing ure or bait but causes tanglihg of the lilie'whieh requires substantial time t6 rectify.

In order to avoid backlash and its aggravating results, reels have been provided with means for braking the speed of the rotating spool during the casting of the fishing line. The frictional drag on the spool maintains a substantially const 'a'nt'pull on the line, thus preventing the reverse winding which characterizes backlash. This nethea'ar correction is not without disadvantage, ntwever, for the resistance of the sob-o1 to rotation induced, not only by a brake, but also by the inertia of the moving parts and the runni'n'g' friction thereof, limits the distance to which the line may be cast.

By positioning the axis of the spool parallel with the longitudinal dimension of thefishing be rotated "to that position from the ri transverse arrangement and loclr ed prior 'tc casting. One disadvantage of the first named onstruction lies in the awkwardand unnatural in n nor in which the spool must be rotated w it is desired to reel in the line. Complies. ed mechanism must also be provided for suchtr winding.

A disadvantage of both constructions resides in the fact that some means must be prov ed for holding the line upon the speol whil'e the fishing pole is swung arcuately curing the first;

step of the casting procedure. The line must be held during a portion of the swing order to permit the weighted end of the line to follow'the radial path of thepole, thereby to gather 'iiio mentum which will carry the line outwar y when released. Heretofore the line be 11 held either by means of thumb pressure against the line wound upon the s ool,- or ty'compiex'a f f incorporated with the feel.- The former method is cumbersome and is not positive. The latter method is complicated and expensive.

It is therefore a principalobject of my tion to provide a casting reel in which the fol thereof may be pivoted quickly and autom tidal:- ly from a position normal to the lollgfitiidi'lial dimension of the fishing pole to a positioniparallel thereto during the casting operation.

-A1"1othei object is the pr vision 6f feel inwhich the spool thereof is riasaeiy heldfoi' rotation about x s tome longitu din'al dimension of a fishing DQle'ahd trigger] ctu"-' ates to shift said ax s-parallel to the lemma dinal dimeii'sieri or said pole. N V

A further objectis to -provide a fishing feelii which the spool thereof may e held 00" 4, many to prevent rotation about ax normal to the lofigitlid'iilal dimension "of a' fishil'lg pme during the initial casting swing, then quickly shines to an axiai direction parallel withtljie pagan-sum imension of said pole for the compltiofi of said cast, then af'tlfthe east has been made itmay quickly and automatically be rethe spool either fixed in the position parallel with the longitudinal axis of the pole, or it may turned and latched in its original position.

These and other objects and advantages army invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accom panyingdrawmg, in which: 7

Fig. i'is-a 'siae 'eievation'showing the n'i'an r in whichfa fishing reel embodying my invent is used, the action being indicated in dotted" outline:

Fig. 2 is a perspectivevi'ew of a fishing "eel em bodying my invention showing same i'r'lg position, the handle of the'fishin'g pole'being indicated dotted outline; and 7 a a I Fig. 3 is a perspective view of 'the reel shown inFig. 2 in casting position; thehanq1'e aodree1 attaching means being indicated iii GOttGWt-Itline.

zf f summ m mber Ii b m ra d pro videdwith resisting arms 2 was enamoredets 1 which lie in planes parallel to the plane of the supporting member I. The opposite end of the base is also bifurcated, being provided with spaced flanges 8 which extend longitudinally of said base along the lateral sides thereof.

An arm 9 is bifurcated at one end to form spaced brackets 10 which are received between the flanges 8. A pin ll extends through'aligned holes in flanges 8 and brackets 10, thus pivotally joining the base 5 and arm '9 in cooperating relation. Adjacent the terminal end of arm 9 is a shaft [2 which extends transversely through said arm and is firmly secured therein. The end of the shaft which projects outwardly away from the base 5 is threaded to receive a nut l3 by means of which a spool 14 is secured for rotation on said shaft. The opposite end of the shaft is provided with a point I5 and an adjacent notch I6 for purposes to be explained hereinafter. The spool I4 comprises a cylinder having circumferential shoulders I! and 18 disposed at opposite ends thereof. As shown in the drawing, the diameter of shoulder I! is greater than the diameter of shoulder 18. The fishing line 19 is coiled about the spool between the shoulders I! and i8 and extends outwardly over shoulder 18 when the axis of the spool is arranged in parallel relation with the longitudinal dimension of the fishing pole, as illustrated in Fig. 3. One, or morev handles 29 are mounted on the face of the spool for turning the latter to wind in the line when the axis of the spool is arranged transversely of the fishing pole, as shown in Fig. 2.

A hole 2| extends transversely through the brackets l in position to receive the pointed end l5 of the shaft l2 when the arm 9 is swung into abutting relation with the base 5. A trigger 22 is pivotally mounted between the spaced brackets 1. A leaf spring 23 mounted between said brackets 1 engages the trigger resiliently to hold the latter in engagement with the notch "5 when the arm 9 is swung against the base. The triggerbisects a portion of the transverse hole 2|, asshown in Fig. 3. Thus, as the arm is rotated clockwise against the base, the pointed end of the shaft engages the edge of the trigger and urges the latter rearwardly until it snaps'forwardly into the notch 16.

A coil spring 24 is wrapped circumferentially about pin H and the ends of said spring are slidably retained in slots formed in the base 5 and arm 9. The spring thus exerts a force which tends to extend said arm outwardly away from said base. Accordingly, when the trigger 22 is moved rearwardly until it is disengaged from the notch IS, the arm 9 is thrust outwardly, pivoting about pin H. The axis of the spool I4 is thereby shifted from its position transversely of the-longitudinal dimension of the fishing pole to a position parallel thereto. The original position is restored by rotating the arm 9 rearwardly by hand until the trigger snaps into engagement with the notch 16. A

The reel is mounted on the fishing pole seat 4 wardly through eyes arranged on the pole and lure is attached to the weighted end thereof in the usual manner. In cast fishing the fisherman places his thumb against the periphery of the shoulder 11 or against one face of the spool to prevent rotation of the spool, and raises the pole to begin the cast, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1. As the pole is swung forwardly to make the cast, the thumb pressure against the spool is released at a selected point along the arcuate path of the pole, and the trigger is pulled rearwardly. The arm 9 and spool [4 swing outwardly away from the base 5 quickly to the position shown in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 1. The outward pull of the weighted line induced by the swing of the pole causes the line to be paid ofi the spool. Since the axis of the spool is parallel with the longitudinal dimension of the pole, the line slithers off the spool in a spiralling manner. The spool, therefore, need not rotate,and hence no resistance to the uncoiling and casting of the line is produced.

When the cast has been made the spool is re- 7 turned by hand to the position shown in Fig. 2,

4 with the fastening arms 2 engaged by the loops the trigger being engaged with the notch Hi to hold the parts in locked arrangement as explained hereinbefore. In this position the reel may be used in the conventional manner to play the fish or to reel in the line.

I claim:

1. A fishing reel comprising, in combination, an elongated base member, an arm pivotally joined to one end of said base member, spring means between said base and arm forurging said arm outwardly away from said base, a spool mounted on said arm for rotation about an axis normal to said arm, the opposite end of said base member having a transverse hole therein, trigger means resiliently pivoted on said base member and cooperating with said hole, and means on said arm receivable in said hole for engaging said trigger means releasably to hold said arm against said base member.

2. A fishing reel comprising, in combination, an elongated base member, means for securing said base member to a fishing pole, an arm pivotally joined to said base member, spring means between said base and arm for urging said arm outwardly away from said base, a spool rotatably mounted on said arm, said base member having a transverse hole therein, trigger means pivoted on said base member and cooperating with said hole, and a notched shaft on said arm receivable in said hole for engaging said trigger means releasably to hold said arm against said base member.

. ROBERT D. COLGROVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,133,254 Backus Mar. 30, 1915 1,434,325 Brown Oct. 31, 1922 2,512,170 Oen June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 7 203,892 Switzerland July 1, 1939 429,774 Great Britain June 6, 1935 840,575 France Jan. 16, 1939 France Oct. 9, 1939 

